Charlie99
Contributor
- Messages
- 7,966
- Reaction score
- 166
- # of dives
- 500 - 999
That's why I bring a cameraDeanadives:
diving alone
- Thread starter STOGEY
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Deanadives
Guest
Nice! Lovin' THAT big fish!Charlie99:That's why I bring a camera
Sorry to hijack the thread for a second ---
I'm looking to take my daughter (13 and OWC) snorkeling at the end of May/beginning of April off Silverbanks when calves are near their moms. I was doing a little research and found that various top feeder types are breeding during whale migration. Has anyone ever had problems at Silverbanks with sharks around whales? (I wouldn't think so, considering -- but have to ask.) Thanks ---
~We now return you to your regularly schduled thread~
novadiver
Contributor
death looks upon all men , the most a man can do is look death in the eye and smile back.BigboyDan:
cmalinowski
Contributor
I was certified in Oct '03. In Feb '04 I was on a fishing trip to Baja and decided to do a dive. After getting on the tiny boat with four others, I quickly figured out that I was the odd man out. The dives were shallow and "being by myself" wasn't a problem and I wasn't concerned. I ended up away from the group on both dives. I didn't really think much of it since the surface wasn't far, and the other divers probably weren't either. Prior to that, I had my buddy surface early and I hung around the anchor line on the wreck we were diving for about 10 mins more.
On a recent dive in FL, we were going on a wreck in 125'. I was talking with my buddy (who I'd just met at the dive shop) and he mentioned that he may take it easy and surface early, but if I wanted to stay it was no problem. I hit 114' max on that dive and most of the dive was by myself. He left early and went up with the DM. I don't think it was truly prudent to do it this way, but there were about seven other divers around. It never bothered me to be doing so and I was comfortable the whole time. Since then, I've decided that I'm going to get more redundent backup gear (pony bottle, etc.) because it seems to be becoming a theme.
I agree whole heartedly that there is a certain peace and calm with diving alone that extends beyond the normal peace and calm of diving in general. I loved both experiences, but know that I am not quite ready to really be diving solo. I am working on it though.
On a recent dive in FL, we were going on a wreck in 125'. I was talking with my buddy (who I'd just met at the dive shop) and he mentioned that he may take it easy and surface early, but if I wanted to stay it was no problem. I hit 114' max on that dive and most of the dive was by myself. He left early and went up with the DM. I don't think it was truly prudent to do it this way, but there were about seven other divers around. It never bothered me to be doing so and I was comfortable the whole time. Since then, I've decided that I'm going to get more redundent backup gear (pony bottle, etc.) because it seems to be becoming a theme.
I agree whole heartedly that there is a certain peace and calm with diving alone that extends beyond the normal peace and calm of diving in general. I loved both experiences, but know that I am not quite ready to really be diving solo. I am working on it though.
Wijbrandus
Contributor
You guys all have more guts than I do. I'm supremely confident in my ability to be the exception that proves the rule.
I know for a fact the moment I hop in a body of water solo, I'm absolutely certain I'll be sucked down by a massive downwelling, get attacked by a shark, run out of air fighting him off, and surface unconscious, thereby drowning because my bp/w will turn me face down.
Actually, I won't dive solo because I promised my wife. If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.
I know for a fact the moment I hop in a body of water solo, I'm absolutely certain I'll be sucked down by a massive downwelling, get attacked by a shark, run out of air fighting him off, and surface unconscious, thereby drowning because my bp/w will turn me face down.
Actually, I won't dive solo because I promised my wife. If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.
You forgot the cold that will sap all your energy and leave you swimming like a speared fish, which is what attracts the shark.
And the exhaust you'll be breathing on the surface even if you managed to deploy your snorkel, if you had one, on account of that face-down floating rig you wear.
The cold is what got me in trouble, and I didn't recognize what trouble I was in until I realized I was starting to swim like I had experienced a stroke - sort of flopping around instead of making real forward progress - and then had trouble coordinating movements enough to try to swim to the surface and inflate my horsecollar vest (oral inflate only in those days). It was a mess. By the time I got to the surface I was afraid to take the regulator out of my mouth to inflate the vest because I couldn't coordinate my hands very well. I blew air into the vest a little and then sank while I tried to hold on to the reg and get it into my mouth, then blew into the vest again and sank some more, sat on the bottom trying to inflate the vest a little more, and then flopped around and got back to the surface, where I rested until I worked up the will to swim to shore. I didn't have any weights to drop because I didn't have a wet suit and was already negative without any weight. While this was happening, another solo diver in a wet suit cruised by and kept going.
And the exhaust you'll be breathing on the surface even if you managed to deploy your snorkel, if you had one, on account of that face-down floating rig you wear.
The cold is what got me in trouble, and I didn't recognize what trouble I was in until I realized I was starting to swim like I had experienced a stroke - sort of flopping around instead of making real forward progress - and then had trouble coordinating movements enough to try to swim to the surface and inflate my horsecollar vest (oral inflate only in those days). It was a mess. By the time I got to the surface I was afraid to take the regulator out of my mouth to inflate the vest because I couldn't coordinate my hands very well. I blew air into the vest a little and then sank while I tried to hold on to the reg and get it into my mouth, then blew into the vest again and sank some more, sat on the bottom trying to inflate the vest a little more, and then flopped around and got back to the surface, where I rested until I worked up the will to swim to shore. I didn't have any weights to drop because I didn't have a wet suit and was already negative without any weight. While this was happening, another solo diver in a wet suit cruised by and kept going.
Bison
Contributor
myoshoji:I agree to comments by Stirling (#39). Diving alone is nothing you should brag about but also nothing so objectionable... as long as you fully understand the risks you're taking, including some unexpected physical problems. As mentioned, however, it may take a lot of experience to see what risks there might be. Excessive self-confidence may be another risk factor by itself, but hey, it's your life
Personally, I don't feel comfortable to go totally alone. However, it happend to me before that, when paired with a stranger on the boat, he didn't care about his buddy at all and we even exited from the water separately. I wasn't bothered much since there were other divers from the same boat around including the dive master. Plus, after the first 10 minutes, I decided to enjoy myself instead of spending time looking for him. So I can say that diving with buddy doesn't mean you're totally secured or anything, either.
I have to agree with you. I have had the experience of starting out with s buddy only to find them more focused on the camera or kicking into the current causing a singnificant distance between us. Even on Wrecks they will leave early or just disappear only to find them sitting on the boat later. I understand the buddy concept but it seems more like a "Same Ocean Buddy" system. They are out there in the general area, but not nearby. In this case you just have trust in your own skills and equipment. I don't do solo dives because I know I am far from the skills that these solo divers in here have, but my buddy dives tend to turn into many solo dives.
Wijbrandus:
What's to say that won't happen diving with someone else? Unless...
when it does happen you plan to use your buddy to push away from the massive downwelling, turn the shark on him, steal his tank off his back, and make it to the surface with no problems, 2 tanks, and his jacket bc.
My wife encourages me to solo dive then mumbles something about an insurance policyWijbrandus:Actually, I won't dive solo because I promised my wife. If Momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.
Similar threads
